Years ago when I first joined this site, UDS builds were very popular. At that time I decided to build one and was glad I did because I learned a lot from many members here and was able to produce some wonderful meals on that old barrel. Also, there were some tutorials by fellow members that helped me with my build. However, with all the upgrades to the site, those wonderful tutorials have disappeared.
Over the years I acquired more experience and knowledge, but for some DUMB reason I decided to sell my UDS and "upgrade" to another type of smoker. I used the money to help pay for my first MES.
Well, nostalgia has taken over, and since I have acquired all the smokers I presently need (and since I had another 55 gallon drum lying around), I decided to go back to my roots and build another dependable smoker. I have included the description of the step-by-step procedure for my build along with photos.
I started with the basket: expanded metal, charcoal grate from a Weber Kettle, and a 16" pizza pan. The basket is on 5" risers. I added an S curtain made from clay roof tiles to help with the Minion Method burn.
Since most barrels are wider at the top, I cut a 4" band from my 22.5" Weber Kettle's bottom. I am using the Kettle's lid for my lid since my barrel came without one. The band will assure that I have a snug, leak-free fit.
Next I drilled all my holes. For the air intake holes, I drilled three evenly spaced 1" holes 3 1/2" up from the bottom to accommodate 3/4" black pipe nipples. I used one 3/4" ball valve and two capped nipples as my air intakes. To hold the cooking grate, I used three 1 1/2 " bolts, drilled 8" from the top of the barrel. If you wish to have a second grate for a diffuser, you can place it 8" below the first one.
Next came the burnout, cleaning, and painting of the barrel. My son's broken baseball bats came in very handy.
Tomorrow I will cure the barrel--and then, let the smoking begin!
I hope my build can help someone with his or her first UDS build.
Thanks for viewing,
John
BandCollector
Over the years I acquired more experience and knowledge, but for some DUMB reason I decided to sell my UDS and "upgrade" to another type of smoker. I used the money to help pay for my first MES.
Well, nostalgia has taken over, and since I have acquired all the smokers I presently need (and since I had another 55 gallon drum lying around), I decided to go back to my roots and build another dependable smoker. I have included the description of the step-by-step procedure for my build along with photos.
I started with the basket: expanded metal, charcoal grate from a Weber Kettle, and a 16" pizza pan. The basket is on 5" risers. I added an S curtain made from clay roof tiles to help with the Minion Method burn.
Since most barrels are wider at the top, I cut a 4" band from my 22.5" Weber Kettle's bottom. I am using the Kettle's lid for my lid since my barrel came without one. The band will assure that I have a snug, leak-free fit.
Next I drilled all my holes. For the air intake holes, I drilled three evenly spaced 1" holes 3 1/2" up from the bottom to accommodate 3/4" black pipe nipples. I used one 3/4" ball valve and two capped nipples as my air intakes. To hold the cooking grate, I used three 1 1/2 " bolts, drilled 8" from the top of the barrel. If you wish to have a second grate for a diffuser, you can place it 8" below the first one.
Next came the burnout, cleaning, and painting of the barrel. My son's broken baseball bats came in very handy.
Tomorrow I will cure the barrel--and then, let the smoking begin!
I hope my build can help someone with his or her first UDS build.
Thanks for viewing,
John
BandCollector
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